News in Brief

Kashmir tense after forces kill 2
Afp, Srinagar

Indian soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in restive Kashmir yesterday, killing one person, during protests over the shooting death of a teenager in a military operation, a police chief said.
Hundreds of angry villagers gathered to protest the teenager's death early yesterday, throwing rocks at withdrawing soldiers who opened fire, killing one person and injuring three others, Kashmir's police chief Abdul Gani Mir said.

Obama to unveil $7b Africa power plan
Afp, Cape Town

US President Barack Obama will unveil a $7 billion plan to upgrade African power networks, in bid to end blackouts that deter business investment on the continent, the White House said yesterday.
The initiative, dubbed "Power Africa", aims to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than two-thirds of the population is without electricity.

Croatia prepares for EU entry party
Afp, Zagreb

Croatia yesterday stages celebrations to mark its historic entry into the European Union as the bloc's 28th member, almost two decades after the end of the Balkan state's bloody war of independence from the former Yugoslavia. At midnight, the "Customs" sign will be removed at a border crossing with Slovenia to mark the entry.

Indonesia urged to ratify haze pact
Afp, Bandar Seri Begawan

Southeast Asian nations yesterday urged Indonesia quickly to ratify a treaty aimed at preventing fires in its giant rainforests that regularly inflict choking smog on its neighbours.
Thick grey smoke from the fires on Sumatra island sent air pollution to record levels in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia this month, forcing people to wear face masks and schools to close.
The crisis prompted the two nations to raise the problem at the annual Asean's foreign ministers' meeting in Brunei yesterday.

Heat wave grips western US
BBC Online

Dozens of people across western US states have been treated for exhaustion and dehydration, as the region is continuing to bake in a heat wave.
Temperatures in some areas are expected to be near 54C (130F) - close to the world's all-time record. There are fears of wildfires, as the heat could last for several days.